Blue Bell ice cream licker could face up to 20 years in jail, say Texas police

A woman who was filmed licking ice cream from a tub of Blue Bell and putting it back in a Walmart freezer has been identified – police in Texas say.

Officers from the Lufkin Police Department revealed Wednesday they believe they had identified the woman in the video after CCTV footage placed someone fitting her description at the scene.  

According to the New York Post, they are waiting to verify her identity before issuing an arrest warrant on second-degree tampering with a consumer product.

The felony carries a maximum sentence of between two and 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. 

Encouraged by her friend, the woman is seen in the viral clip licking the entire surface of a tub of Blue Bell Ice Cream before placing it back into the freezer

Earlier on Wednesday authorities declared that ‘appropriate charges’ would be filed against the woman after the incident last month.

Officers released a statement on Wednesday saying that they had identified the Walmart as being the one located on 2500 Daniel McCall Dr in Lufkin, Texas.

Blue Bell contacted the police to notify them of the location, the department said in a Facebook post.  

Detectives investigating the case were then able to secure video footage showing a woman who fit the suspect description on June 28 at approximately 11pm.

‘Our biggest concern is consumer safety – in that regard we are glad to see the tainted product off the shelves,’ Lufkin Director of Public Safety Gerald Williamson said.  

The Lufkin Police Department released a statement on Wednesday saying that they had identified the Walmart as being the one located on 2500 Daniel McCall Dr in Lufkin, Texas 

Detectives investigating the case were then able to secure video footage showing a woman who fit the suspect description on June 28 at approximately 11pm

Blue Bell has removed all half-gallons of ‘Tin Roof’ product from the Lufkin Walmart shelves, the police said on the post.

The wild act has inspired a challenge where teens run into stores and run their tongues on cartons of ice cream.  

The eight-second video shows the woman opening up the tub which she had just removed from the freezer. With a big smile on her face, she then licks the top layer of the carton.

Encouraged by the man filming her, she then puts it back in the freezer, ready for an unsuspecting customer to purchase.

The video has been viewed more than 8 million times on Twitter and has led to uproar.

Some have suggested it should be felony to tamper with food and have called for the woman to be arrested.

A woman was seen taking ice cream from the freezer before removing the top to lick it

Other reports on Twitter say the girl who carried out the licking is from San Antonio and that the incident took place in a Walmart in the city. Such reports are so far unconfirmed, however.

In response, Blue Bell Creameries ice cream released a statement:

‘We want to thank our consumers for alerting us to the recent food tampering incident. We take this issue very seriously and are currently working with law enforcement, retail partners and social media platforms. This type of incident will not be tolerated.

‘Food safety is a top priority, and we work hard to provide a safe product and maintain the highest level of confidence from our consumers.

‘During production, our half gallons are flipped upside down and sent to a hardening room where the ice cream freezes to the lid creating a natural seal. The lids are frozen tightly to the carton. Any attempt at opening the product should be noticeable. We will continue to monitor this situation.’

The video has gone viral, but it’s not known where the incident took place or when. The company says if anyone tampered with a lid, consumers would likely notice